Audrey Hepburn's reign as Hollywood's storybook princess lasted 15 years, long enough for her to be made a paradigm of sparkling charisma and class. From a traumatic youth in Nazi-occupied Europe, Hepburn effortlessly charmed her way into the hearts of producers, directors, co-stars and movie-goers alike, earning no less than drama's highest-profile honor for her first major film outing, "Roman Holiday" (1953). She seemed to define irrepressible, from her "Sabrina" (1954) through her deceptively sweet call girl in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) to her heartwarming rags-to-riches Eliza Doolittle in the film version of one of the last old school hit musicals, "My Fair Lady" (1964) to even late in her life when traveled the world as a high-profile spokeswoman for UNICEF. Her legacy on screen and off would be that of someone disarmingly defying her "place" and pedigree, transcending them, and in the process, becoming that rare movie star who men wanted to be with and women concurrently wanted to be.

Audrey Hepburn's reign as Hollywood's storybook princess lasted 15 years, long enough for her to be made a paradigm of sparkling charisma and class. From a traumatic youth in Nazi-occupied Europe, Hepburn effortlessly charmed her way into the hearts of producers, directors, co-stars and movie-goers alike, earning no less than drama's highest-profile honor for her first major film outing, "Roman Holiday" (1953). She seemed to define irrepressible, from her "Sabrina" (1954) through her deceptively sweet call girl in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) to her heartwarming rags-to-riches Eliza Doolittle in the film version of one of the last old school hit musicals, "My Fair Lady" (1964) to even late in her life when traveled the world as a high-profile spokeswoman for UNICEF. Her legacy on screen and off would be that of someone disarmingly defying her "place" and pedigree, transcending them, and in the process, becoming that rare movie star who men wanted to be with and women concurrently wanted to be.

Played leading role in film musical "Funny Face" opposite Fred Astaire

1964:

Played Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady", one of the biggest boxoffice hits of her film career, the adaptation of Lerner and Loewe's Broadway musical hit revamp of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion"

1964:

Moved to Switzerland

1967:

Last film for nine years, "Wait Until Dark"

1970:

Made a guest star appearance on the CBS Christmastime special saluting children worldwide, "A World of Love", hosted by Shirley MacLaine and Bill Cosby

1976:

Resumed acting after nine-year absence in "Robin and Marian"

1987:

US TV-movie debut, "Love Among Thieves", also starred Robert Wagner and Jerry Orbach; first US TV acting work in 30 years since adaptation of "Mayerling"

1988:

Named official spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

1989:

Final film role as Hap, an angel, in Steven Spielberg's "Always"

1991:

Honored with a Gala Tribute by the Film Society of Lincoln Center

1992:

Underwent surgery for colon cancer in Los Angeles

1993:

Was the subject of a special commemorative issue of PEOPLE

1993:

Album entitled "Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn" released

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Education

Arnhem Conservatory:
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Notes

Received Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992

Hepburn was one of only eight individuals (Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks, Helen Hayes, John Gielgud, Richard Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch and Mike Nichols are the others) to have won all four of the major entertainment awards (Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy) in competition.

"I myself was born with an enormous need for affection and a terrible need to give it. That's what I'd like to think maybe has been the appeal. People have recognized something in me they have themselves--the need to receive affection and the need to give it." --Audrey Hepburn, from The New York Times, April 22, 1991.

"It was no accident that Miss Hepburn so often played Cinderella. That fairy tale suited her own life, as a child of Belgian, Dutch and English heritage (hence the distinctive, unidentifiable accent) who emerged from the Nazi-coccupied Netherlands to become a dancer, model and bit player. The writer Colette was the fairy godmother who saw in this radiant ingenue the makings of her own heroine, Gigi, and insisted Miss Hepburn play the role on stage. For the first of many times, she was transformed ever so appropriately from duckling to swan." --Janet Maslin in The New York Times, April 21, 1991.

Contributions

JStafford ( 2006-03-29 )

Source: Movie Star Homes: The Famous to the Forgotten (Santa Monica Press) by Judy Artunian and Mike Oldham

Audrey Hepburn and her husband Mel Ferrer lived at 100 Delfern Drive in Holmby Hills, Ca. during the filming of MY FAIR LADY (1964). The house is located on the corner of Delfern and Sunset.
(Source) Movie Star Homes: The Famous to the Forgotten (Santa Monica Press) by Judy Artunian and Mike Oldham